1964 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-016

Description

Sixteenth doubled die reverse for the inaugural 1964 Kennedy Half Dollar, DDR-016 exhibits an unusual light triple spread on the stars running clockwise from the K-12 (12 o'clock) to K-6 (6 o'clock) positions, combined with double spread on OF AMERICA, DOLLAR, the arrows, and designer Frank Gasparro's initials. The triple spread — where three distinct hub impressions are visible rather than the typical two — indicates that this die received at least three hubbing events with slight angular displacements between each, creating a more complex doubling pattern than standard doubled dies. Classified by VarietyVista under UVC-387 and DMR-052, the die stages begin at Stage A where both reverse and obverse are in early die state, proceeding through mid and late stages (both unconfirmed). The ODV-002/RDV-002 designation identifies specific obverse and reverse die varieties, with the RDV-002 carrying the "Flared G" characteristic. The 1964 Philadelphia Kennedy Half was struck in quantities exceeding 273 million pieces — the highest mintage in the series — as the public rushed to acquire the new memorial coin honoring the recently assassinated president. The combination of triple spread on the stars with double spread on the legends creates a layered doubling effect that experienced collectors can detect under moderate magnification, particularly at the star points where multiple offset images become most apparent. DDR-016 stands among the more complex doubled die varieties in the 1964 Kennedy catalog.

Die Markers

• UVC-387
• DMR-052
• Stage A:
• Reverse and Obverse are EDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Timothy Wissert
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References